First base is fantasy baseball's deepest position, so don't fret if you can't get Albert Pujols or Miguel Cabrera.

Each year, someone comes out of nowhere to steal the spotlight. Last year, it was Michael Morse. Morse was only one of three first basemen to have at least 30 home runs and maintain a .300 or better average (Miguel Cabrera and Paul Konerko were the other two).

Plus, there's a solid group of youngsters who are ready to make a name for themselves this season.

Having said this, five of the top 10 picks could be first basemen (Cabrera, Pujols, Votto, Fielder and A-Gon), so you don't want to wait too long.

Who should you pick? Continue reading to see the power rankings and projections for the top 20 first basemen for the 2012 season.

Keep in mind, this list is for anyone who has 1B eligibility, so players who aren't traditionally thought of as first basemen (Mike Napoli, Carlos Santana) could make the list.

No. 17: Mark Reynolds, Baltimore Orioles

Mark Reynolds has averaged 208.5 strikeouts the last four years, but during that span, he's also averaged 35.25 home runs.

Reynolds is an all-or-nothing guy, so you know what you're getting from him. He'll kill your batting average, but if you can afford to lose points, you know he'll reward you with very good power numbers.

Look on the bright side; he limited his strikeouts to 196 last year, down from 223 and 211 the previous two years.

No. 12: Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals

After having an awful 2010 season with the Astros and Yankees, Lance Berkman found a home in St. Louis.

Berkman was able to finish ninth in the National League in home runs, fourth in OPS and third in OBP in 2011.

With Rafael Furcal, Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday all hitting in front of Berkman this season, the Big Puma will still get plenty of RBI chances. His age might be catching up to him, so I wouldn't expect as big of a year though.

No. 9: Michael Morse, Washington Nationals

Rob Carr/Getty ImagesMorse's 2011 season puts him in the top-10 for 2012.

2011 statistics: .303 BA, 31 HRs, 95 RBIs, .910 OPS, 73 Rs.

Michael Morse finally got consistent at-bats in 2011, and he proved what he can do. Morse ranked eighth in the National League with 67 extra base hits, eighth in OPS and ninth in HRs in 2011.

The only concern here are the strikeouts. Even though Morse struck out nearly once a game, he still managed to hit .303. I don't think he'll be able to keep that up in 2012, especially with pitchers knowing he's a force now.

No. 6: Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees

Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesThe switch-hitting Teixeira has plenty of power from both sides.

2011 statistics: .248 BA, 39 HRs, 111 RBIs, .835 OPS, 90 Rs.

The .300 batting average days might be gone for Mark Teixeira, but he's still one of the game's best home run hitters. In each of the last four seasons, Teixeira has hit more than 30 homers and driven in over 105 runs.

Just remember to be patient with Teixeira. He's notorious for starting slow in the early months (he has a .196 batting average in April the last three seasons), but he'll always turn it around.

Teixeira is a switch-hitter who plays his home games in one of the best hitter's parks on one of the best teams, so you can deal with the lower batting average.

No. 5: Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox

Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesGonzalez is one of the best all-around first basemen.

2011 statistics: .338 BA, 27 HRs, 117 RBIs, .957 OPS, 108, Rs.

For the first time in his career, Adrian Gonzalez went over 200 hits last season. With his sweet stroke, and the Green Monster in left field, you can expect another great year from A-Gon.

Gonzalez's best attribute might be the stat that is most overlooked: his OBP. Even when Gonzalez only hit .277 with San Diego in 2009, his on-base percentage was .407. He'll find a way to get on base, which is extremely beneficial if you're in leagues that include OBP and OPS.

What's there not to love about Adrian Gonzalez? He's played in more than 155 games in each of the last six years, and he'll hit around .300 with 30 HRs and 100-plus RBIs.

No. 4: Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers

Prince Fielder will team up with Miguel Cabrera to create one of the game's best three-four hitter combos.

Fielder is a career .282 hitter and has averaged 38 homers since becoming a full-time starter in 2006. If you add his plate discipline to the mix (he has averaged 110 walks the last three years), Fielder is a fantasy stud.

No. 2: Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels

Stephen Dunn/Getty ImagesPujols decided to take his talents to the west coast.

2011 statistics: .299 BA, 37 HRs, 99 RBIs, .906 OPS, 105 Rs, 9 SBs.

Albert Pujols is a machine. Since coming into the league in 2001, Pujols has hit at least 30 homers in every season, scored 100 or more runs every year except for once (99 runs scored in 2007), driven in 100 runs every year except once (99 in 2011), and had a .300 or better average every year but once (.299 in 2011).

There's no reason to think the 32-year-old can't continue.

Why is he No. 2 then? Moving from the NL Central to the AL West is more of a challenge, and Pujols will most likely have Torii Hunter hitting behind him. Still, Pujols will continue to do his thing.

No. 1: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

In a day where sabermetrics is known to all (thanks to Moneyball), Miguel Cabrera is the best fantasy player. Not only he is No. 1 at first base, but he should be No. 1 overall in your league.

Cabrera will hit for a high average (he won the AL Batting Title last year) and mash home runs. He also walked more times than he struck out last season, leaving him with an incredible OBP (.448) and OPS (1.033).

Plus, now that the Tigers welcomed Prince Fielder to the team, Cabrera might eventually earn 3B eligibility, making him even more valuable (third base is much more shallow than first base).